The demo for EA’s Battlefield: Bad Company 2 has been downloaded over two million times, according to the publisher.

The Xbox Live and PlayStation Network sampler of the DICE developed shooter “is on pace to become the fastest downloaded demo in EA history”, the company said.

“The recently launched PC beta has also met great success, with hundreds of thousands of players already signed up,” it added.

The demo will be available until February 25, ahead of the game’s March 2 release in North America and March 4 launch in Europe.

"We couldn’t be more thrilled to hear that Battlefield: Bad Company 2 is already in the hands of almost 2½ million gamers, and it hasn’t even shipped yet," said Patrick Bach, senior producer on the game. "This massive rush to experience the game early is proof positive that action gamers are looking for more. Battlefield: Bad Company 2 delivers on every front. This is intelligent, strategic warfare that our competitors simply cannot replicate."

EA CEO John Riccitiello said recently that Bad Company 2 can help the publisher reclaim the shooter crown from Activision, noting that “looks like a worthy competitor” to Modern Warfare.

"We think we’ve got an advantage over Modern Warfare 2 with our multiplayer,” he said. “The guys at DICE do that really, really well. Frankly, once you get past, sort of, four people on a map, I think our gameplay is better."